Adult video (AV) producer Silk Labo contracted 34-year-old Ittetsu Suzuki (@ittetsu_silk on Twitter) to be the industry’s first actor who performs solely in films written to arouse female sensibilities.

The magazine quotes the actor as saying that the hard stuff is out and a soft touch, especially as related to kissing, is in. But it is not a simple matter. In a survey of women, the most desired theme in films is that of mutual love, but coming in second was that of a man forcing himself upon a female, at least to some degree.

“Although it may be forced, violence and rape are definitely out,” says Suzuki, who is typically referred to as Ittetsu.

The tenderness must be mutual. “For a women, the sex is to be a matter of inevitability,” says the actor, whose 174-centimeter, 68-kilogram frame is lean and deeply tanned, a look that corresponds with the soshoku-kei danshi (herbivorous male) phenomenon that has been gaining popularity. “There needs to be an excuse for the sex, and it is the job of the actor, who must be a handsome guy, to give it to her.”

Eri Makino (@makino_silklabo on Twitter), a director, says a love triangle between two men and a woman is popular nowadays. “At first the male characters come across as jerks,” she says. “But in fact they are adorable. The feeling of ‘I want that type of guy’ just jumps off the screen. It is like something out a manga for girls in which she is treated like a princess.”

A 32-year-old female office worker was skeptical at first that AV films for women could create situations in which extreme cases of passion could lead to sexual encounters. But she was wrong. “They capture similar elements inherent in Korean dramas,” she says.

Purchasers of such titles tend to fall between 20 and 70 years of age, with 10 percent of them being men.

Sales figures confirm the genre’s popularity. AV releases intended for male audiences that ship 3,000 units are considered successful, but for those targeting women to register a hit that figure must be bumped up to 10,000.

Director Makino expects foresees changes down the line. “I’ve been getting requests for more extreme content,” says the director.

A lot of women are tired of seeing the ever-present mosaic, or blurring, that appears over genitalia, a requirement of Japan’s censorship laws. “So we’ll be sure to film guys with bulging crotches,” she says, implying something of a compromise. “There are a lot of women who want to see men in a state of excitement.” (A.T.)

Source: “Josei muke AV satsuei genba,” Shukan Asahi (May 31, page 44)

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